1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements over a shock-wave curative apparatus of the type for curing a disease caised by a calculus, whereby a calculus in a human body is disintegrated with the destroying energy of a shock wave.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technique as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 62-049843 is known as one of the apparatuses for disintegrating a calculus or calculuses in a human body. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates this apparatus. An applicator 1 contains a spherical transducer 2 with a curvature of 10 cm (in diameter), which has a hole of a predetermined configuration at the center, and a backing 3 uniformly layered over and bonded to the rear side of the transducer 2. An imaging probe 4 is disposed so that its transmission/reception surface 4a lies in the same plane as that in which the transmission/reception surface of the transducer 2 lies, or retracts somewhat from the plane. Reference numeral 5 designates a water bag through which a shock wave is transmitted to a human body 6.
For positioning a focal area of a shock wave, B-mode data collected by the probe 4 is visualized, and on the visualized image (B mode image), a focal area marker is set at an object to be disintegrated, e.g., a calculus. The term "focal point marker" means a focal area as geometrically determined by the applicator 1.
Use of only the visual image of the B mode data, which is collected by the probe 4 in the applicator, makes it difficult to check a location of the disintegrated object. Further, it can provide an unsatisfactory check to what degree the object is disintegrated, which follows the transmission of a shock wave. Additionally, the visual image formed by the conventional apparatus has a poor clearness.